OUYA Console Starts Shipping To Kickstarter Backers 110
First time accepted submitter Patch86 writes "The team behind the Android-based OUYA games console have announced last week that they have begun shipping their first consoles. As the console originated as a Kickstarter project the first consoles will be shipped to backers; the console is due to be released for general sale for the 4th of June with a $99 price tag. As the BBC notes, this is the first of a series of major new entrants into the games console market, with others on the horizon including fellow Kickstarter Android project Gamestick, Nvidia's CES surprise Project Shield, and of course Valve's 'Steambox.'"
The potential is there... (Score:5, Insightful)
I've heard people mention that the Ouya won't really be all that - but I disagree. For the first time in a while, we have a console designed for the tinkerer and independent developer in mind, and it should be interesting to see what it brings to the table. Sure, when it launches, it won't be all that exciting - but given the resources available to Android developers of late, there is a lot of potential.
Of course, potential and five bucks gets you a coffee at Starbucks - but perhaps the Big Three need to feel the nipping of an indie console at their heels to get their butts in gear on new genres, new stories, and fresh ideas.
Curious (Score:4, Insightful)
We recently talked about the 'Ouya' console — a conceptual Android-based gaming device that's had a massively successful Kickstarter campaign. While most people are excited about such a non-traditional console, editorials at 1Up and Eurogamer have expressed some more realistic skepticism about the claims being made and the company's ability to meet those claims.
Sooooooo ... when do we own up to spreading FUD about this Kickstarter campaign? I mean, look [slashdot.org] at some [slashdot.org] of the highest rated comments.
;)
Well, I'm glad I got on board. Also glad I got in on the RFduino early on! I'll let you know how it handles when I get my hands on it
What a Scam? (Score:5, Insightful)
I'm still waiting for my ouya to ship and I was a kickstarter backer. Apprently they missed the DELIVERY estimate of march 28. They also only shipped about 250 units to hand picked high profile people for review while everyone else gets the shaft. They've had my money for a long time now, other people have ouya, where's mine?
You ... should probably just stop using Kickstarter. If you get upset when people miss deadlines, if you get upset when a fledgling company tries to build press, if you are not interested purely in helping something that otherwise wouldn't happen happen then do not use Kickstarter. Do yourself and the people trying to use Kickstarter and Kickstarter a favor and stop using it!
They have horrible communication and leave everyone in the dark unless they donate thousands of dollars. We started their company and they can't even email us back when we send an inquiry as to what is going on with our units. Horrible company. Horrible PR.
They're a small company, you want them to spend money on a call center or the device?
Horrible console because it REQUIRES a credit card to use.
That's not quite true, it sounds like it requires a credit card to download video games [ausgamers.com] ...
just bad. very disapointed. It'll be an emulator box for me, that's about it.
So it's "just bad" and you're very disappointed despite never having used one or held one in your hands? They tried something bold and they succeeded. You should be happy about that. You don't understand what Kickstarter is and I hope this experience teaches you a valuable lesson -- stay off Kickstarter, it's not a goddamn store.
Re:The potential is there... (Score:4, Insightful)
While that's the ideal situation, I'm thinking a good chunk of Ouyas will probably just end up running emulators like MAME and such. After all, instead of playing on a PC or using touch controls, you now have a real controller and can play pac-man on your big screen.
Because really, what's the usual thing modded consoles run by homebrewers? Emulators.
Re:What a Scam? (Score:3, Insightful)
Yes. YES. 1,000 times yes. If you have customers, you REQUIRE a customer service department, a department that services customers, by definition. Don't get me wrong, I agree with the rest of what you said. It's just that if you have customers, you'd better treat them right or they won't be coming back. I understand that they're a small group and a new startup, but business is business.
No shit (Score:4, Insightful)
The concerns I've Oyua have not been of non-delivery, well other than the Kickstarter haters that claim everything on there is a scam. The concerns I've seen are over functionality. Will it really go anywhere? Will anyone care? Many fanboys just seem to take it for granted that when it comes out, tons of stuff will get released for it and everyone will want one. I'm more skeptical. I think it'll be a toy that the backers and a few others play with for a bit, and then it gets set aside. I don't think it will compete well with smartphones and traditional consoles.
I've seen no plans for how they intend to attract big game publishers and that is what you need if you want to get many games on the platform, and games is what will sustain it long term. It is all well and good to crow on about open source but when you take a look at the number of OSS games, and the quality thereof, it is not very impressive. So to sell it to the masses and keep it rolling, you need more games and I've not seen any indication of what their plan is for that. It seems to be just "Release it and everyone will make cool shit for it!"
History is littered with failed consoles that can testify to that not being the case. Goes double for something that is smartphone level power, which will leave many people saying "So why not just use my phone?"
The challenge was never shipping the thing. They got plenty of money so that was easy, I mean it uses off-the-shelf components internally. It is just standard electronics design, testing, and assembly. The challenge is getting it to sell on the mass market, to be an item of interest that people keep buying, and buy successors to.
Re:The potential is there... (Score:2, Insightful)
What is it that's unique about Ouya that will make it different though? Why would it not be 'same old stuff' gameplay on Ouya? We've had open platforms for decades and more recently accessible on tablets and smartphones, but everybody just claims to want something that isn't mainstream - without having any idea what that might be.
Sure accessible platforms like hacked XBoxes, Playstations and Wiis, jailbroken iDevices, iPhoneLinux, PS3 Linux, etc sound great and everybody ponders the possibilities but when it actually comes along most people realize it's not much different to a PC.